Free Newspaper Archives in the US

The South

The Southern states in the US have always had a strong regional identity, as can be seen in these free newspaper archives from the South, going back in history hundreds of years.

Alabama Newspaper Archives

Updated Birmingham Iron Age, 1874-1901 (intermittent). A valuable collection from the Birmingham Public Library, covering the early days of Birmingham history. The collection includes numerous clippings from other newspapers and magazines.

You can find more Alabama newspaper archives at NewspaperArchive, a subscription service.

Arkansas Newspaper Archives

No longer free, I’m afraid.The Journal-Advance (1896-1949), in Gentry. Originally called Orchard City, Gentry newspaper archives give a good look at 19th and early 20th century life in the Ozarks.

You can find more Arkansas newspaper archives at NewspaperArchive, a subscription service.

You can find more Florida newspaper archives at NewspaperArchive, a subscription service.

Georgia Newspaper Archives

Georgia Historical Newspapers, 1750(?)-1925, includes the Cherokee Phoenix, the Colored Tribune, and the Dublin Post. A diverse collection, ostensibly from the 18th century, forward, though I did see any content prior to the early 1800’s.

You can find more Georgia newspaper archives at NewspaperArchive, a subscription service.

South Carolina Newspaper Archives

Updated. The South Carolina Digital Library features several newspapers, including the Pee Dee Times and the Georgetown American, mostly from the 19th century. Be sure to click through to the second page of listings, which includes newspapers and other digitized content.

You can find more South Carolina newspaper archives at NewspaperArchive, a subscription service.

Virginia Newspaper Archives

Richmond Then and Now, 1860-1989. A small collection of articles covering some historical highlights from this storied city. Text-only, with search box way down at page bottom.

Virginia Gazette, 1736-1780. An important 18th century resource from the time of the Revolutionary War. Can be browsed by date or searched by keyword.

You can find more Virginia newspaper archives at NewspaperArchive, a subscription service.

Other Southern States Newspaper Archives

Another source of millions of pages of newspaper archives from the South can be found at NewspaperArchive. This is not a free service, but it’s a great resource, just the same.

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Did you know?Ancestry.com has a deep newspaper archive that can be searched for free (but there’s a fee for full access).

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More historical archives and research materials can be found at these excellent resources: